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Forever St. Paul Challenge finalists down to 3

By Mila Koumpilovamkoumpilova@pioneerpress.com

Posted:
08/13/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated:
08/13/2013 09:39:15 PM CDT

Rendering of the Art Train, which would develop new creative space in recycled passenger rail cars permanently affixed to abandoned railroad spurs in the West Midway Industrial District. (Courtesy of Forever St. Paul Challenge)

Retired railcars turned workshops for a community of artists and artisans.

A youth arts center for hands-on forays into arts, crafts and technology.

A hub for cooking and tasting locally grown fare.

Those are the three finalists in the Forever St. Paul Challenge, a contest that will award $1 million to a winning plan to make St. Paul better.

Now, the task of choosing a winner is in the hands of city residents, who have until Sept. 2 to vote for their favorite idea.

The St. Paul Foundation launched the contest in February -- a bid to use money left over from a bipartisan effort that lured the 2008 Republican National Convention to the Twin Cities.

In partnership with Minnesota Idea Open, the foundation received almost 1,000 pitches.

A panel of judges narrowed them down to 30 semifinalists and now three finalists.

"It was very difficult to narrow it down to three," said Naomi Pesky, a spokeswoman for the St. Paul Foundation. "There were many creative and powerful ideas that would support the community."

The finalists are:

-- The St. Paul Art Train, by Craig Blakely of St. Paul, a plan to turn refurbished rail cars into rentable art business workspaces in the West Midway Industrial District.

A veteran of the city's Department of Planning and Economic Development, Blakely wanted to forge a new identity for a less-than-inviting corner of the city -- one that blends West Midway's industrial past with recent efforts to promote it as an arts district.

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"You're taking an underutilized, unattractive street and turning it into new jobs in a really exciting space," said Blakely.

-- The St. Paul Center for Creative Arts, by Jack Ray of Minneapolis, a learning space for young people to master and practice anything from pottery to boatbuilding to robotics.

Ray is a founding member of Urban Boat Builders, the St. Paul nonprofit that teaches boatbuilding to at-risk youth. He said he has come to value the "soft skills" that hands-on projects cultivate in young people, from perseverance to teamwork.

"We've become convinced we're on to something good here," Ray said. "We wanted to do it on a bigger scale."

-- The Urban Oasis, by Tracy Sides of St. Paul, a food hub in the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary featuring cooking classes, food trucks and other dining on local fare.

Sides said she wants to build on growing interest in locally grown foods on the East Side on the edge of the sanctuary.

A veteran public health professional and East Side resident, she said the food hub would bring the neighborhood and the larger community closer together.

"Food is magic," she said. "It creates jobs. It improves health. It creates a connection between people and a place."

TOUGH DECISIONS

Before the judges tackled the 30 semifinalist proposals, their authors gathered at the Minnesota Science Museum to get feedback from grant writers, city officials, marketing gurus and technology experts.

"It was a unique opportunity for them to get another perspective on their ideas and make them as strong as possible," Pesky said about the two-day "open idea labs."

T. Mychael Rambo, a theater professor at the University of Minnesota, sat on a panel of judges from diverse backgrounds -- artists, business people, movers and shakers in the nonprofit world. That meant it was hard at times to see eye to eye during more than three hours of choosing the finalists.

The judges looked for proposals that would resonate with a cross section of the Twin Cities public, Rambo said. They wanted ideas that were both creative and doable. Many had a soft spot for the arts and youth projects. All were intensely aware they were helping decide the fate of a cool million.

"At one point we really were at a standstill," Rambo said. "We turned to each other and said, 'We need chocolate.' "

The judges made their final calls after raiding the vending machines at the Minneapolis office building where they met.

PUSHING CREATIVITY

All finalists said the contest already has exceeded their expectations.

Blakely, who has written more than 15 grant proposals in his 24 years with the city, was a bit skeptical at first of an "open cattle call" he worried would devolve into a popularity contest. But he found the openness of the competition bred really creative ideas.

Ray enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the other contestants at the Science Museum, where he got to refine his original pitch.

"It makes my brain work better to be around other people who are thinking optimistically and hopefully," he said.

And Sides said that since she submitted her proposal, she's banded together with fellow East Side residents and nonprofits groups who want to make it happen regardless of the contest's outcome.

Residents of Minnesota can vote online at MNIdeaOpen.org/foreversaintpaul, where they can also view videos presenting the ideas of each finalist. They can also send their votes in by text message, or vote in person at several sites, including a Forever St. Paul Challenge booth at the State Fair. The winning idea will be announced Sept. 9.

"It's like reality TV at its best," Rambo said. "We went through this long process and now we have to step back and say, 'It's all yours.' "